SpaceX builds Texas foundry to accelerate gas turbine production for AI energy needs

SpaceX is constructing a foundry in Bastrop, Texas, to produce critical components for gas turbines, specifically blades and vanes. This move aims to address a growing energy bottleneck caused by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers.

Elon Musk stated that while SpaceX and Tesla are working to build significant solar production capacity, natural gas will be required to supplement power for several years. He noted that the current limiting factor for natural gas turbine production is the specialized casting process for these parts. By bringing this manufacturing in-house, Musk believes SpaceX can accelerate the deployment of gas turbines by up to 18 months.

The project follows reports of SpaceX acquiring approximately 830 acres of land near its Starlink facility. The initiative comes as the International Energy Agency predicts global data center electricity consumption could roughly double by 2030, creating intense demand for power generation equipment.